Method of constructing a dome shaped building



Jan. 30, 1968 METHOD Filed June 6, 1966 H. H. VERMETTE 3,365,855

OF CONSTRUCTING A DOME SHAPED BUILDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M/VENTGR a wmx/ ATTORNEY Jan. 30, 1968 H. H.VERMETTE 3,365,855

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A DOME SHAPED BUILDING Filed June 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE/VTUR AT TOR/V5) United States Patent 3,365,855 METHOD ()F CONSTRUCTING A DOME SHAPED BUILDING Howard H. Vermette, 7 143rd St, Hammond, lind. 46320 Filed June 6, 1966, Ser. No. 555,632 9 Claims. (Cl. 52-741) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Dome shaped buildings too large to be moved as a unit are constructed on the site with single or double thickness walls by anchOring one end of one or two strips of thin gauge metal sheets unwinding it or them in an ascending spiral about a centrally disposed station and securing the adjoining edges together. If a double wall is used, the second strip is started after the first strip to avoid interference and is unwound on a shorter radius to provide a space between the Walls. Either single or double wall is reinforced as it is constructed, and window and door openings are cut through later. An opening is left at the top, and is covered by a roof or a preformed skylight. The length of the strip feeding members may be varied during the strip feeding process to vary the shape of the building. A plurality of buildings may be built in close adjacency and interconnected to form a building complex. The apertures formed in the inner wall when the prongs are punched from said Wall facilitate drying of the filler material between the walls.

This invention relates to a method of constructing a dome shaped building on the site intended for its permanent location, and is particularly concerned with a method of unwinding a strip of sheet material, preferably thin gauge sheet metal, from a coil, feeding the strip in an ascending spiral pattern about a centrally disposed station, and integrating the sheet material in any suitable manner to construct a building that may be reinforced and insulated simultaneously as part of the same substantially continuous process. The adjoining edges of adjacent convolutions may be secured together by mechanical interengagement or by welding.

In accordance with the invention, a rotatable turret is located at a station approximately centrally of the proposed building. The turret is somewhat similar to a crane in that it carries a pair of booms that may be moved independently of the movement of the turret. Preferably each of the booms comprises two or more telescopic or extendible sections so that they may be moved axially as well as pivotally. The turret remains in a substantially fixed central position during the entire wall construction for the building. At least one coil of sheet material in strip form is mounted on each boom, or on the turret adjacent each boom, so that, after one end of each strip has been suitably anchored, it may be fed from its coil during rotation of the turret. The sheet material may be fed positively, as by rotating the coil about its axis, or may be dragged from the coil by the rotational movement of the turret after one end of the sheet material is secured in place. The strip feeding process for constructing the wall or walls of the building is substantially continuous, except that in case the strip of sheet material runs out before the Wall is finished, it may be interrupted to connect the end of one coil to the start of another coil.

Each boom is gradually raised through a vertical angle as the turret is rotated, so that the strip of sheet material defines an ascending spiral as it is fed from its boom to form the wall. The amount of rise in each con- 3,365,855 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 volution of the strip of sheet material is equal to approximately the width of the strip, so that the lower edge of the convolution being formed by the strip of sheet material being fed from a coil :is adjacent the upper edge of the preceding convolution. As the strip of sheet material is fed from the coil, it is contour formed to provide the desired curvature to conform it to the dome shape it assumes when it is integrated into the Wall structure. The strip may be stretched longitudinally along its lower longitudinal edge and compressed longitudinally along its upper longitudinal edge.

Another method of contour forming the strip of sheet material is to corrugate an intermediate portion thereof transversely, preferably at uniformly spaced longitudinal intervals, with each corugation decreasing in depth from its end adjacent the upper longitudinal edge of the strip to its opposite end adjacent the lower longitudinal edge of the strip. The corrugations also stiffen the wall structure.

The longitudinal edge portions of the strip of sheet material are free of corrugations so that they can be formed to enable the lower longitudinal edge of the strip to be interengaged with the upper edge of the preceding convolution. Immediately after the edges of the strip have been interengaged, the joint between adjacent convolutions may be seamed to complete the wall structure. Although the described method of securing the adjoining edges of the strip of sheet material is preferred, they can be secured together by riveting, cementing, or by welding.

Preferably the second boom, and its related structure, duplicate the work of the first boom within the perimeter of said first wall, to form the inner wall of a double walled building. The second boom may, in addition to duplicating the work of the first boom, carry means for reinforcing the wall structure, and for filling the space between the two walls with filler material which may be concrete, any suitable insulating material, or both. If the space between the walls is filled with concrete and insulation, the filler material is preferably applied in well defined separate layers. If desired, a reinforcing strip may have one edge positioned adacent the adjoining edges of either wall and secured thereto. If reinforcing strips are secured to both walls, they may be interlaced or connected to each other in any suitable manner.

Pairs of vertical plates of suitable height, each having a width equal to the distance between the inner and outer walls, may be positioned between. the inner and outer walls in predetermined relationship to define spaces that are kept clear of concrete or other filler material during construction of the building. It is then a simple matter to provide window and door openings in the completed building by cutting through the walls in the areas left free of concrete and other filler material after the wall construction is completed. The wall structure is preferably stopped short of the maximum height of the building to leave an opening that may thereafter be covered in any suitable manner. If desired, a preformed skylight may be mounted to cover the opening, or a roof may be built over the opening.

It is possible to use only one boom if the building to be constructed is to have only one wall. A single walled building may be reinforced in any suitable manner. For example, lath could be applied to the inner wall surface and the inner wall surface can be plastered, if desired.

If a plurality of buildings are constructed in close adacency, openings may be provided opposite each other in the adjacent buildings, and the openings may be interconnected in any suitable manner to transform the individual buildings into a building complex. The individual buildings may be alike or may be of different sizes and shapes.

The turret is located at the floor level of the building to be constructed if the building is to have a semispherical configuration. If the building is to have a configuration of less than half a sphere, the turret may be located below the floor level of the building, or the necessary variation in the feeding of the strip of sheet material may be attained by axial manipulation of the telescopic boom sections during the rotational movement of the turret. In either structure an opening is provided for removal of the turret after completion of the wall structure. Such opening may be closed in any suitable manner after the turret has been removed, or may be made into a door.

The simplest form of building is provided with an interior floor space of circular form, but buildings may be constructed in many various configurations. The horizontal cross section of the building may be modified by moving one section of each boom axially as the turret is rotated.

In order to counteract the tendency of the building to spread at the base, it is preferred to anchor the free end of the strip of sheet material to a concrete base having a vertical wall surface against which the free end of the strip of sheet material may hear. The free or starting end of the strip may be spaced from the vertical wall surface, and may be anchored in place by grout or any other suitable material poured between the strip and the vertical wall and then allowed to set.

The method of the present invention keeps construction costs down because of the number of steps that may be performed substantially simultaneously at a consistently rapid rate with a minimum of skilled labor. The buildings constructed in accordance with the method hereinafter described are substantial, durable buildings that may be constructed in sizes too large to be moved as a unit by common carriers and may be reinforced in any suitable manner.

Numerous advantages and features will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing a building of semispherical shape constructed in accordance with the method hereinafter described.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing a domeshaped building similar to the building of FIG. 1, but comprising less than half of a sphere;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a plurality of buildings joined together in a building complex;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, illustrating the method of forming window or door openings in the dome shaped building;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing one method of forming an insulated wall;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the method of starting the spiral construction of a dome shaped building;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view, similar to FIG. 6, showing the start of the second convolution of the spirally disposed strip of sheet material;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating one method of anchoring the bottom edge of the wall;

FIG. 9 is a view, partly in section and partly in. elevation, showing the position of the turret and its booms for constructing a semispherical building such as that shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 1% is a view similar to FIG. 9, showing the turret and booms in position to construct a dome-shaped building such as that shown in FIG. 2 without axial manipulation of the booms;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a seamed joint between two adjacent convolutions of flat sheet material with a flanged reinforcing strip having one edge secured in the seam;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a a seamed joint between two adjacent convolutions of sheet material that has been corrugated longitudinally of the strip during the construction of the wall;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of a seamed joint between two adjacent convolutions of fiat sheet material; and

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a double walled structure having reinforcing flanges interlaced.

In constructing a building in accordance with the invention, a base or foundation 11 is constructed in any suitable manner. The base may comprise a circular disk of concrete or similar material of the desired floor size, as shown in FIG. 1, or may comprise an annular disk 12 of the same material as shown in FIG. 2. Generally, in constructing a building such as that shown in FIG. 2, the annular disk 12 is used as the foundation for the base, and the area within the opening of the annular disk is filled in to form a flat floor 13 after the building has been constructed. If desired, after the wall construction of the building is complete, the area within the opening of the annular base 12 may be excavated to form a cellar or basement. Another suitable foundation 14 is shown in FIG. 8. In this embodiment, a recess 15 is excavated and a concrete base 14 is poured in place. Preferably the base 14 is reinforced, as indicated at 16, and is provided with an annular portion 17 defining a recess 18 of slightly larger area than the floor area of the building. Reinforcing members 19 are partially embedded in the base and are located to project upwardly adjacent the inner wall surface of the annular portion 17, for a reason hereinafter disclosed.

After the base or foundation has been constructed, a rotatable turret 20 is positioned approximately centrally of the intended floor area of the building for the construction of inner and outer walls of the building. The turret may be positioned before the foundation is constructed, and used in the construction of the foundation or base for the building. If the building is to be semispherical, the turret is located at the floor level. If a building such as that shown in FIG. 2 is to be constructed, the turret may be positioned on a pad 21 at a suitable level below the floor level, or may be located the same as for the building of FIG. 1. If the turret is at floor level, the variation in the height of the building may be obtained by axial manipulation of the boom sections during their rotational movement. If the turret is positioned at a lower level for construction of the building of FIG. 2, the methods of construction of the buildings shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are identical. The lower level of the turret in FIG. 10 causes the booms to be extended at an upwardly extending angle at the start of the construction of the building and the initial elevation of the booms results in a lesser height for the completed building.

The turret 20 is provided with a boom 22 for construction of an outer wall, and a boom 23 for construction of an inner wall. Of course, if the building is to have only a single wall, it may be constructed with only one boom. A coil 24 of sheet metal or of any other suitable sheet material in a strip of any desired width is mounted on each boom, or on the turret adjacent each boom, for constructing a double walled building. Either or both of the booms may be provided with a second coil of strip sheet material for applying a reinforcing strip between the inner and outer walls, if desired. The outer end of each boom is constructed to feed the strip of sheet material along a line coincident with the outer end of the boom. The strip of sheet material may be fed outwardly by dragging it off its coil by rotational movement of the turret, or by providing positive drive means for rotating the coil to unwind it. Each of the booms may also be provided with individual tools, such as a stretcher 25, formers 26 and 27, and a seamer 28. The booms may carry a tool adapted to cor rugate the sheet material, if desired. If one boom cannot carry the desired number of individual tools, an addition a1) a1 boom may be mounted on the turret. If the sheet material is plastic, it may be extruded in the form desired for use so that subsequent forming operations are not required.

If the strip is corrugated, it may be corrugated either longitudinally or transversely, if the corrugations are intended only to stiffen the wall structure. However, if the strip material is corrugated transversely, the stretcher tool may be omitted, and the corrugating tool may contour form the strip material to conform it to the dome shape it assumes in the wall. The transverse corrugations terminate in spaced relationship to the longitudinal edges of the strip material so that the edge portions of the strip material can be formed and interengaged without difficulty. The corrugations decrease in depth from the end adjacent the upper longitudinal edge of the strip, thereby compressing the upper edge portion of the strip and stretching the lower edge portion to contour form the strip for the desired dome shape.

Tanks 29 for holding fiowable concrete or suitable insulation material, are preferably positioned outside the area of the outer wall. The concrete and/or insulation is forced through suitable conduits 30 mounted on the boom 23 and is poured into the space between the inner and outer walls.

The free end portion of the strip 31 of sheet material of each coil 24 is out along a longitudinal diagonal line to provide a tapered end portion, as indicated at 32 in FIGS. 6 and 7. The length of the taper is preferably equal to the perimeter of the lower edge of the wall to be constructed. The free end of the strip 31 is anchored in any suitable manner, as indicated at 33, and the strip 31 is unwound from the coil 24 to form the first convolution of the spiral construction as the turret is rotated through 360. The strip 31 may be flat, as shown in FIGS. ll, 13 and 14, or may be corrugated, as shown at 34, in FIG. 12. As the strip 31 is unwound from its coil, its upper edge is formed, as indicated at 35, by the former 26 to prepare it for interlocking engagement with the lower edge of the next convolution.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the first convolution of the strip 31 is spaced from the inner wall surface of the annular portion 17 of the base 14, and the space between said inner wall surface and the first convolution of the strip 31 is then filled with grout or other suitable mate rial, as indicated at 36, to anchor the first convolution of the strip in position.

After the completion of the first convolution, the lower edge of the strip 31 is formed, as indicated at 37, by the former 27 for interlocking interengagement with the formed upper edge 35 of the preceding convolution. As the strip 31 is fed from its coil to form the second convolution, its lower edge is interengaged with the upper edge of the first convolution which imparts the desired spiral rise to the second convolution. The boom feeding the strip 31 is gradually raised a distance approximately equal to the width of the finished strip during each complete revolution of the turret 20. Immediately after the interengagernent of the formed edges 35 and 37 they may be seamed together by the seamer 28 to form an interlocked joint between the adjoining edges of adjacent convolutions, or may be secured together in any suitable manner.

If desired, a reinforcing flange 38 or 39, as shown in FIG. 11 and 14, respectively, may be interlocked with the joints of the wall construction by means of an edge 40 interposed between the formed edges 35 and 37 just before the edges are secured together to form the joint. The flange 38 is apertured, as indicated at 42, to provide a suitable interlock with concrete, insulation, or any other filler material that may be poured between the inner and outer walls of a double walled structure. The flange 39 has tongues 43 struck therefrom and adapted to be engaged by a lacing 44 that may be used as a tie between said tongues and tongues on a similar flange 39 secured [in the seam 45 of the inner wall 46. The lacing 44 may be of metal wire or of any suitable plastic material. The inner wall may be identical to the outer wall, and may be formed in the same manner, but in FIG. 14 it is provided with prongs 57 projecting toward the outer wall to engage any filler material that may be positioned between the inner and outer walls.

The first convolution of the inner wall is started after the outer wall is built up a few convolutions, and is spaced at predetermined radial distance therefrom. If the base used has reinforcing members, such as 19, projecting upwardly, the first convolutions of the inner and outer walls are spaced to enclose the projecting portions of the reinforcing members therebetween.

Tanks 29, containing either concrete, preferably of the quick setting porous type, or any suitable insulation or other filler material, are connected to the conduits 30 mounted on the boom 23, which pour concrete and/ or insulation between the previously formed convolutions of the inner and outer walls. If concrete and insulation are poured between the inner and outer walls of the building, a strip 47 is preferably secured to the boom 23 to form a temporary separating barrier between the insulation 48 and the concrete 49 as they are poured into the wall space. The barrier keeps the insulation and concrete separate to attain the maximum strength and insulation for the building.

During the construction of the inner and outer walls 46 and 50, respectively, a pair of vertical plates 51, each having a width equal to the radial distance between the inner and outer walls, and each of any desired height, are positioned between the inner and outer walls in any desired spaced relationship. Each pair of plates indicates the location of a door or window opening to be subsequently formed, and the space between the plates of each pair is left free of any concrete or insulation. Thus, after the wall structure is complete, it is a simple matter to cut through the Walls between each pair of plates, and to set a door 52 or a window 53 in such openings. In the same manner openings may be provided in buildings 56 for removing the turret, in cases where the turret cannot be removed through the door opening, or for joining a plurality of closely adjacent buildings into a building complex.

in cases where an opening is made solely for removing the turret from within the building, the opening may be closed in any suitable manner after the turret is removed. Where several buildings are to be joined in a complex, the adjacent buildings are provided with openings, each of which faces a similar opening in an adjacent building. The aligned openings in adjacent buildings are interconnected by any suitable structure, as indicated at 54.

The wall construction may be stopped a short distance below the top of the building 56 in order to leave an opening in which a skylight 55 may be secured. The uppermost convolutions of the strips of the inner and outer walls may be tapered, to provide a level base for the sky light 55, or the skylight structure may have its lower edge tapered to compensate for the taper at the upper edge of the wall construction if the uppermost convolution of the sheet metal strips are not tapered. The opening may be covered by any suitable roof construction if a skylight is not desired.

In describing the method of constructing buildings of different shapes, reference to only one wall will be made since it is obvious that in a double walled building the inner wall is formed in the same manner as the outer wall. The turret 20 must be rotated through 360 for the boom to feed enough strip sheet material to form one convolution of the wall. If the boom sections are not moved axially during the rotational movement of the turret, the horizontal cross section of the building will be circular. Buildings of different shapes and heights may be constructed by moving one section of the boom axially during the rotational movement of the turret.

For example, when the rotational movement of the turret is started, the outer section of the boom is moved axially outwardly during the initial 45 of rotational movement of the turret at a speed adapted to keep the feeding end of the boom traveling along a straight line. The axial movement of the outer section of the boom is stopped at the end of the initial 45 of the rotational movement and no axial movement is permitted during the following 90 of rotational movement of the turret. During this period of rotational movement of the turret, when there is no axial movement of the boom, the feeding end of the boom describes a semicircle having the vertical axis of the turret as its center. During the next 45 of rotational movement of the turret, the outer section of the boom is retracted axially at a speed that keeps the feeding end of the boom traveling along a straight line parallel to the straight line previously mentioned. It will be seen that during the period described above the turret has been rotated through 180 to complete one half of a convolution of the strip sheet metal.

The axial manipulations of the outer section of the boom are repeated during the next 180 of the rotational iovement of the turret to complete the convolution of the strip sheet metal. The building, when completed, has each end shaped like half of a semisphere. The two ends of the building are joined by an intermediate section having a horizontal cross section defined by two parallel straight lines and a vertical cross section similar to the vertical cross section of the buildings of either FIG. 1 or FIG. 2.

The axial movement of the outer section of the boom may be controlled in any suitable manner, as, for example, by a template, to construct a building having walls of various configurations and of any desired height.

Although I have described a preferred method of constructing a building rapidly and inexpensively, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be descriptive, rather than restrictive, as various changes or modifications may be made in the method without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact details described.

I claim:

1. The method of constructing a double wall dome shaped building comprising the steps of simultaneously feeding two strips of material in radially spaced relationship about a relatively central location of the proposed building along the intended wall of the building in a spirally ascending contour and integrating each of said strips of material.

2. The method of constructing a building recited in claim 1, including the step of contour forming at least one of said strips of material by corrugating it to conform it to a dome shape.

3. The method of constructing a building recited in claim 1, including the step of corrugating an intermediate portion of each of said strips transversely at approximately uniform longitudinally spaced intervals, each of said corrugations decreasing in depth from its end adjacent the upper longitudinal edge of its strip to its opposite end adjacent the lower longitudinal edge of its strip to conform each of said strips to a dome shape.

4. The method of constructing a building recited in claim 1, including the step of pouring filler material into the space between said walls as said walls are being constructcd.

5'. The rnethod of constructing a building recited in claim 4, including the steps of leaving predetermined areas between said walls free of said filler material, and thereafter cutting out the walls in said areas to provide openings in said building.

6. The method of constructing a building recited in claim 1, including the step of interengaging a reinforcing flange with the adjacent edges of each of said strips as they are fed into wall formation, and interlacing said reinforcin g flanges to reinforce the wall structure.

7. The method of constructing a building recited in claim 1, including the step of forming a temporary barrier between said radially spaced walls, and simultaneously pouring reinforcing material between said temporary barrier and one of said walls, and insulating material between said temporary barrier and the other wall.

8. The method of constructing a building recited in claim 1, including the steps of forming outwar ly extending prongs on the inner Wall and pouring filler material into engagement with said prongs within the space between said walls.

9. The method of constructing a building recited in claim 1, including the step of forming apertures in the inner wall and pouring filler material between said walls as said Walls are being constructed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 26,165 2/1967 Stolz 52-80 2,365,145 12/1944 Neif 52-80 2,436,383 2/1948 Dettman 113-54 2,469,603 5/1949 Le Tourncau 52-80 2,706,851 4/1955 Stout 29-456 2,751,672 6/ 1956 Reed 29-429 2,852,110 9/1958 Dueringer 29-429 2,986,193 5/1961 Howell 29-429 3,122,115 2/1964 Sicgwart 113-54 3,206,899 9/1965 Wright 52-80 3,263,321 8/1966 Lombardi 29-429 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

